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Rolling On: Asleep at the Wheel to open ACL Fest 2024

By on August 13, 2024

Asleep at the Wheel, the venerable ambassadors of Western swing, will open ACLfest 2024 as the first up band, as they have for the last many years.

Their performance last year was both a nod to their storied past and a testament to their enduring appeal. The band, led by founder Ray Benson, has been a fixture in the music scene since 1970, amassing nine Grammy Awards and releasing over twenty albums.

File Photo: Asleep at the Wheel at ACL festival – Day 1.(Photo Credit: © Chris Shaw)

The current lineup, featuring Benson’s deep vocals and lead guitar, alongside Katie Shore’s co-lead vocals and fiddle, Dennis Ludiker’s fiddle and mandolin, Connor Forsyth’s piano and keyboards, Josh Hoag’s bass, Flavio Pasquetto’s steel guitar, Jason Baczyński’s drums, and Joey Colarusso’s saxophone, proved to be a tight-knit ensemble.

Their setlist will probably include their biggest hits, including the chart-topping “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read,” the playful “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens,” and the road-trip anthem “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” which resonated with the festival crowd. These tracks, which have defined their career, were performed with the same freshness as when they first hit the airwaves, showcasing the band’s ability to transcend time with their music.

Asleep at the Wheel’s performances are a masterclass in musicianship and showmanship. Each member brings a unique energy to the stage, blending seamlessly to create a sound that was both authentic and lively. The band’s bio speaks to their roots in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and their rise to fame in Austin, Texas, a story that mirrors the evolution of American roots music itself.

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